Rotary snow remover



Jan. 8, 1957 M. c. ROOT 2,776,505

ROTARY SNOW REMOVEIR Filed Nov. 8, 1952 4 Shee ts-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Melvin C Root BY W W a TTOZN E Y! Jan. 8, 1957 M. c. ROOT ROTARY SNOW REMOVER 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 8, 1952 Fig. 2

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Jan. 8, 1957 M. c. ROOT ROTARY SNOW REMOVER \1 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Nov. 8, 1952 INVENTOR. Melvin C. Rooi BY ATTORNEYS Filed Nov. ,8, 1952 M. C. ROOT ROTARY SNOW REMO VEIR Sheets-Sheet 4 Fig.6

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Melvin C. Roor BY United States Patent M 2,776,505 ROTARY SNOW REMOVER Melvin Chaney Root, Union Gap, Wash., assignor of onealf to Harry L. Maloney, Tharp, Wash.

Application November 8, 1952, Serial No. 319,475

2 Claims. (Cl. 37-43) This invention relates to snow moving equipment for use on roads and highways. More particularly, it has reference to improvements in motorized equipment of snow plow type, designed primarily for highway travel maintenance rather than for the clearing of roadways or highways of accumulated deep snow and heavy drifts. In general, the present invention relates to snow moving equipment adapted to be supported by a truck or tractor and pushed along a roadway ahead of the same for the gathering in and discharging laterally from the roadway, of snow and slush that had previously been scraped or otherwise formed into a windrow along the center line or near the edge of the roadway. However, the invention is not to be confined to this particular mode of use as it may be used after the fashion of the usual snow plow.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide a snow gathering and moving device that can be easily and readily applied for use to the ordinary types of heavy duty trucks or tractors as used in highway maintenance, and pushed and guided in its travel by the truck to which it is applied for the scraping up, or gathering of snow and its lateral discharge from the roadway.

More specifically stated, the present invention resides in the provision of apparatus of the above kind including two rearwardly and angularly converging blades, arranged for scraping snow from the roadway, and causing it to be directed into a housing located at the point of convergence of the blades, and in which a wheel or fan is contained and adapted to be driven at high rate of speed to effect the casting of the snow laterally from the housing and off the roadway.

Further objects and special advantages of the invention reside in the details of construction ofthe snow discharging wheel and in its combination with an auger-type feeder whereby the snow, as concentrated by the angularly converging blades at the entrance to the wheel housing, is continuously advanced to the impellers of the rotatably driven wheel.

Further objects of the invention reside in the details of construction and combination of parts embodied in the device, and in their mode of operation, as will hereinafter be fully described.

In accomplishing the above mentioned and other objects; of the invention, I have provided the improved details. of construction the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a plan or top View of a snow moving device embodied by the present invention, and showing its means for and manner of its attachment to a propelling truck.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the present equipment.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the equipment taken substantially on the line 33 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a vertica l, cross-section of the equipment, taken substantially on the line 44 in Fig. 3, showing the snow feeding auger, the impelling wheel and the driving means for theseparts.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section, taken, along the line 55 2,776,505 Patented Jan. 8, 1957 in Fig. 1, showing the wheel housing and means for its rotary adjustment.

Fig. 6 is a side view of the snow moving equipment, showing the means for its adjustable support from the truck frame.

Fig. 7 is a vertical, transverse section taken on line 7-7 in Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a cross-section on line 88 in Fig. 7.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

In Fig. l, the present snow moving equipment has been shown as applied for use to a truck. The truck is design'ated in its entirety by reference character 10 and it is to be understood that it can be of any kind or type suitable for this purpose. In the construction herein shown, the truck chassis comprises "a horizontal cross-bar 12 fixed to the forward ends of the opposite side beams 1313, and it is mainly to the chassis of the truck that the present equipment is attached for support and use. The mode of attaching and adjusting the equipment will presently be fully described.

The snow moving equipment is a unitary structure adapted to be readily attached to or detached from the truck. It isdesign-ated in its entirety in Fig. l by reference character 15 and includes, as principal parts thereof, two converging snow gathering blades designated, respectively, by reference numerals 16 and 17, each of which blades is of the general form of a bull-dozing blade, or snow plowing blade, as modified for the present purpose. As seen best in Fig. 3, the blades are disposed transversely and angularly with respect to the direction of travel of the tractor, forming a forwardly opening angle of about as observed in Fig. 1.

It is also to be observed in Fig. 1 that the blade 16 is relatively short and blade 17 is relatively long, and the line of their convergence is offset to one side of the center line of the truck. The two blades are rigidly joined together and are supported by a frame structure which comprises a somewhat rectangular and box-like housing 20, best shown in Fig. 3. This housing has opposite end walls 20a and 20b, welded or otherwise suitably fixed at their forward edges to the blades 16 and 17, and a rear wall 200 to which a gear case 21 is fixed. Welded to the rear wall 21x of the gear case and extended beyond it at one end is a horizontal cross-beam 22. A brace beam 23 extends from the extended end of beam 22 to the outer end of blade 17 to give strength and rigidity to the structure and other braces may be applied to the structure as desired or required to give it all the strength and rigidity required.

For the functional attachment of the plow to the truck, there is provided two vertically directed guides 2525 of channel form fixed to the back side of the cross-beam 22 near its opposite ends, respectively. Likewise, fixed to the cross-beam 22 at the front side thereof are vertically T-shaped rails 26 with their head portions slidably contained in the guides 25 to permit relative raising and lowering of the snow moving equipment relative to the truck and at the same time retaining the functional relationship of the parts.

The equipment is adjustably supported by a pair of levers 27-27, these being located at opposite sides of the forward end portion of the truck as shown in Fig. 1. Each lever extends along the corresponding side beam of the truck chassis and is pivotally fixed at its rear end to a vertical bracket 28 on the beam by a pivot pin 29. At their forward ends, the levers 2727 are pivotally connected to the upper ends of links 30-30. These links depend from the levers and are pivotally attached at their lower ends by bolts 31 to ears 32-32 on the blade supporting frame structure, as seen in Fig. 6. Pivotally mounted on the truck frame structure, as at 34, at opposite sides and beneath the levers, are hydraulic cylinders 35 with piston rods 36-36 extended upwardly there from and pivotally connected to the levers, respectively, between their ends, as at 37. A pressure medium is adapted to be applied to the cylinders to extend or retract the piston rods through suitable hose connections 39, thus to raise or lower the snow moving equipment accordingly.

To keep the device on an even keel, a cross-shaft 40 is mounted transversely of the truck frame for rotation in bearings 41. Fixed to the opposite ends of this shaft are forwardly extending lever arms 4343 and pivotally connected with these arms, at their forward ends, are links 44-44, which are pivotally attached at their lower ends, as at 45, to brackets or ears 46-46 on the top wall of housing 21.

Through the above described means of support, the snow moving equipment can be adjusted to any required level or elevation above a roadway and maintained at that elevation. Normal operation anticipates that the lower edges of the two blades shall be disposed close to the road surface, and as a means to prevent possible gouging into the roadway, and also as a steadying support for the equipment, a runner 48 is fixed to the frame structure as shown in Figs. 2 and 6; this being secured to the housing 20 by bolts 49.

It is shown in Figs. 3 and 4 that the two blades 16 and 17 converge toward, and are welded or otherwise secured at their inner ends to a ring 50. This ring is disposed vertically and transversely of the direction of travel of the vehicle and defines an opening, or passage, 51 through which the snow and slush gathered by the two blades in the forward travel of the equipment will be passed into a cylindrical wheel housing 54. The housing 54 is supported in the frame housing 20, coaxial of the ring but somewhat rearwardly thereof, with the forward peripheral portion thereof overlapped with and enclosing therein the rear edge portion of the ring as shown; there being some clearance between the ring and housing wall in order that the wheel housing can be easily rotatably adjusted when such is desired.

The blade 16, as shown, is in the form of a forwardly directed dished plate having a curved edge portion which conforms to the curvature of the circular open front of the impeller housing and of the ring 50 and which curved edge encircles the major portion of the ring and the adjacent edge of the cylindrical wall of the housing 54. The bottom edge of the blade 16 is parallel with the bottom edge of the long blade 17 as shown in Fig. 2. As is also shown in this figure, the rear vertical edge of the blade 17 is curved in the central portion thereof to conform to the curvature of the cylindrical wall of the housing 54 and to the curve of the ring to which it is attached.

The height of the two blades is greater than the height of the ring 50 and the opening of the cylindrical housing in which the ring is located and the rear end of the long blade 17 above and below the curved intermediate portion is in cooperative relation with the adjacent edge portion of the dished plate of which the blade 16 constitutes a part. The entrance opening to the housing in which the impeller is located is accordingly encircled by the adjacent cooperating edges of the two blades and the dished formation of the plate body forming blade 16 provides forwardly directed collecting faces which flare outwardly from the ring at the upper and lower part of the ring and at the side thereof remote from the long blade 17.

It is shown in Fig. 5, that the wheel housing 54 is supported for rotatable adjustment on two laterally spaced rollers 5656 that are mounted on the bottom wall 20x of housing 20. Also, it is shown in Figs. 3 and 4 that the housing 54 has a rear side closing wall 54x formed with a hub portion 58 that is revolubly fitted about a bearing 59 secured in the rear wall 200 of the housing 20.

The housing 54 is equipped at one side with a discharge spout 60 through which snow that enters the housing wall can be discharged by the action of the impeller wheel 62 that is rotatably mounted in the housing 54 coaxially thereof.

The wheel 62 is best shown in Figs. 4 and 5 to comprise a circular disk 62x, forming the back side wall of the wheel, and on which disk a hub 63 is formed for mounting the wheel on a supporting and driving shaft 65. Mounted on the front side of the disk, coaxial of the hub is a cylindrical member 66 and fixed to this and extending therebeyond are three equally spaced and radially extending blades or fins 67, referred to as impellers, whereby the snow that enters the open front side of the housing will be cast from the housing through the spout 60. Each of the impellers 67 is supported rigidly in an axial plane of shaft 65. It presents a flat surface to the contacted material, and it is braced on its back side by a flange 67x that extends to its full length in a plane perpendicular thereto and'is welded or otherwise fixed thereto and to the cylindrical member 66. Also there is a bracing web 67z applied between the flange and impeller medial of the ends of the latter.

Mounted on the forward end of the wheel driving shaft 65 is a feed screw 70 as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The screw hub is mounted on a sleeve 70x that extends axially from hub 63 and is keyed to the drive shaft 65. At its rear end the hub of screw 70 has a flange 71 seated flatly against a similar flange 72 on the forward end of the hub portion 63 of the impeller wheel, secured thereto by shear bolts 73. The forward end of the hub of screw 70 termi nates flush with the end of sleeve 70x, and both of these terminate short of the forward end of shaft 65. An annular plate 70] is applied about the extended end of shaft 65, and tightened against the plate by a nut 75 threaded on the end of shaft 65.

The feed screw extends forwardly through the ring 50 and the opening defined thereby for the passage of snow to the wheel. In its operation, this screw will effectively deliver slush and snow to the blades of the wheel and prevent the inlet to the wheel housing becoming clogged.

The direction of discharge of snow from the housing is determined by the position of the spout 60, and this can be adjusted to any position between the full line and dotted line positions in which it has been shown in Fig. 5. The means for efiecting its adjustment comprises a hydraulic cylinder pivotally mounted on the frame structure of the equipment with piston rod 81 extended therefrom and pivotally connected at its end to a bracket 83 fixed on the back wall of the fan housing. Pressure medium is admitted to and from the opposite ends of the cylinder to adjust the position of the wheel housing accordingly.

The drive shaft 65 for the snow impelling wheel is rotatably contained in the bearing 59 and a bearing 84 secured to the back wall of the gear case21. Keyed on the shaft, between these bearings, are sprocket Wheels 85 over which chain belts 86 operate to drive the shaft. The belts also operate over sprocket wheels 87 keyed on a drive shaft 88, that is eccentrically mounted in bearing rings 89-89 that are rotatably adjustable for belt tightening in ring like carriers 90-90 provided therefor on the front and rear walls of the gear case 41 as seen in Figs. 3 and 8. After a rotary adjustment of the bearing rings 89-89 has been made, they are retained in the adjusted position by the tightening of the clamp lugs that are fixed on the housing wall by bolts 96. Rotary adjustment of these bearings provides for taking up slack or looseness in the chain as may be required.

At its rear end the drive shaft 88 may be connected by universal joint 91 or in any other suitable manner, with a power take-off shaft 92 as indicated in Fig. 2.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In snow moving equipment designed to be mounted upon and in advance of a carrier vehicle and including a frame structure for so mounting the equipment on the vehicle; a housing rigidly secured to said frame structure and having bottom, side and back walls, the housing having a forwardly directed open front and an open top, an impeller housing within the first housing and having a substantially cylindrical wall, a back wall and a delivery spout tangent to the cylindrical wall and directed upwardly through the open top of the first housing, the impeller housing having a circular open front defined by the cylindrical wall, a bearing body carried by the back wall of the first housing, a hub forming a part of the back wall of the impeller housing and rotatably mounted on said hearing body, an impeller shaft extending through and supported by the bearing body, an impeller within the impeller housing and having a hub mounted on and secured to said shaft and radial blades carried by the hub, a long snow gathering blade extending forwardly and laterally from said first housing at an oblique angle to the shaft, said blade further extending across the forward edge of and being rigidly secured to one side wall of the housing and to said frame, said blade terminating at its rear end adjacent to the forward edge of the near side of the impeller housing cylindrical wall, said rear end of the blade having a portion of its transverse edge curved and substantially conforming to the curvature of the cylindrical Wall, a short snow gathering blade rigidly secured to the other side wall of the first housing and extending forwardly and laterally from the rear end of the long blade across the major portion of the lower part of the cylindrical housing, said short blade having a curved edge substantially conforming to the curvature of the cylindrical wall, a connecting ring between and rigidly secured to the said curved edges of said blades and lying within and closely adjacent to the inner side of .said cylindrical wall, said impeller housing being rotatable on and around the bearing body and around the connecting ring, means for rotating the impeller housing on the bearing body, and means for delivering power to said shaft from a power source to rotate the impeller.

2. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said blades have a height greater than the housings and wherein the said short blade is in the form of a forwardly directed dished plate and the said curved edge thereof encircles the major circumference of the circular open front of the impeller housing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 421,768 Scheffler Feb. 18, 1890 1,689,999 Fahrney Oct. 30, 1928 1,848,554 Smith et a1. Mar. 8, 1932 2,092,536 Sicard Sept. 7, 1937 2,144,314 Klauer Jan. 17, 1939 2,152,840 Drake Apr. 4, 1939 2,315,007 Morse et al Mar. 30, 1943 2,369,293 Gotzlinger Feb. 13, 1945 2,583,753 Spreng et al J an. 29, 1952 2,619,746 Heaman Dec. 2, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 258,799 Switzerland May 16, 1949 

